Last year was a good year to say the least for the always strong Thompson Falls High volleyball team.

They lost four excellent players due to graduation, but head coach Sandra Kazmierczak has a young and talented team hoping to keep the winning tradition alive as the 2023 high school volleyball season gets underway this weekend.

Four key starters, led by all-everything player Ellie Baxter helped the Lady Hawks to a 20-9 season record and a trip to the Montana volleyball playoffs. Also gone from that team are seniors Avery Burgess, Natalie Roberts and Cheyla Irvine. All four were multiple sports standouts during their time in T Falls.

But the future is not bleak despite losses of that magnitude.

Tall and talented sophomore Gabi Hannum, along with fellow sophomores Sarah Koskela and Annalise Fairbank, as well as junior Olivia Fitchett return, giving the young Lady Hawks a young foundation for the future.

And the present, which has coach Kazmierczak optimistic as the team prepares for its opening games at the Choteau Invitational this Thursday-Saturday. The Lady Hawks first home game will be September 7 versus Superior, which was elevated to Class B play for this year.

“As of right now we are working on putting a new team together that is very young but has a great knowledge of the game”, Kazmierczak said. “We are excited to see their great potential this season.”

That youth and potential means the team will work hard on bringing the new group together and getting them to play as a unit, she said.

As far as league competition goes, Kazmierczak said “it seems every team we play brings their best game so I guess you could say everybody.”